The Rum Tum Tugger Story
by UmbraBlaze821
Summary: Story of The Rum Tum Tugger from birth to the end of the Jellicle Ball.Mainly based on musical. 1st fanfic. Small OC cameo for further info see profile Recently been reviewed over for faults, Now Improved
1. Chapter 1

Fanfic: Rum Tum Tugger Story

I don't own CATS (although I wish I did)  
*******************************************************************

I had just been born and I already thought I was handsome. This was confirmed by a voice, from whom I assumed was my mother, saying,

"Just look at that little black and brown one, so adorable, he'll be a right ladies' cat when he's older."

I felt so important, the cat of the moment. But I was brought right back down to earth with another voice saying,

"It doesn't really matter, the silver tabby is the oldest, he will be the leader of the Jellicles after, Deuteronomy."

_Oh great_ I thought, _I mean nothing do I, my brother's the best is he?_ My mother just started to lick my head and said,

"Don't worry little one you'll be best in your own special way." This calmed me down a bit.

"What should we call them?" A pleasant male voice said.

"They are your sons Deuteronomy, you should name them" She answered

"Very well... I shall name the silver tabby Munkustrap"

"And what about the black and brown one"

"I think... Rum Tum Tugger"

"That's a big name for a small cat Deuteronomy"

"We shall call him Tugger for short. And when their eyes open I can bless them as a Jellicle"

And with that came silence. So I curled up next to my brother and fell asleep.  
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After a week my eyes opened and I could at last see the world around me. I was a black cat with leopard pattern around my paws and on my chest and face.  
My brother, on the other hand, was a silver tabby.  
My father was a brown/grey mix and my mother was a black/brown mix.

I looked at myself and thought I was going to handsome, not trying to be a jerk but I looked cool. Soon after this we were blessed into the Jellicle tribe, I did not understand what this meant at the time.

I was not actually allowed to stray far from my room but that didn't stop me. So one day while my mother was tending to my brother I sneaked out to where my father was in the main room of the den.

When I got there, I saw there were two cats talking to my father. One was a ginger cat, he looked about six months old, the other was a young kitten, dare I say younger than me, with him, he was a black and white tiger tabby. The ginger cat turned to my direction and stared at me with cold blue eyes. His glare made me shiver.

"Tugger!" I heard my mother shout "Rum Tum Tugger get back here"  
She ran out and scooped me up.

"Sorry Deuteronomy, he's just a curious kitten"

"It's alright" he said and he went back to business while my mother took me back.

"Who was that?" I asked her.

"Probably new tribe additions. You mustn't go out there yet, it's not safe. Now stay here with your brother"

I went and curled up in my room with my brother.

_Who was that ginger cat? He didn't look too friendly, and who is that kitten?_

I soon dismissed the feelings and went to sleep.  
*******************************************************************

When I woke up a little later, I found that Munkustrap and I were alone.

"Where's mother?" I asked.

He shrugged "She had some business to do" He told me. "She said she'd be back soon and then we could have our dinner"

We waited for nearly two hours, my stomach was starting to hurt from hunger. I could hear Munkustrap's tummy rumbling. We were both hungry.

"I'm going to go and ask father where she is." I finally said, but Munkustrap stopped me,

"No, we're not allowed out yet Tugger"

"But this is and emergency, I'm sure he won't mind"

With that he let go and I went to father.  
"Father. where's mother"

"I don't know son, she should have been back by now, I've sent Asparagus to get you and your brother some food"  
He allowed me to sit with him and wait, shortly after a brown tabby named Lillabelle came in. She was Asparagus' mate.

"Deuteronomy" she said in a shaky voice, "We've found her"

"Where is she?" he asked with deep concern.

"Well she was in the city..." She hesitated, wondering if she could say it in front of me.

"Go on" He told her.

"She was hit by a car" she finished" She dead"

My father, overcome, just closed his eyes, sighed deeply and then nodded.

"I'm sorry Deuteronomy" She said "There was nothing we could do"

He stayed silent, Lillabelle left, then he looked down to me "Go and get your brother and bring him in here"

I nodded and walked into our room, a moment later we stood before him.

"My darling sons" He said "I have terrible news. Your mother won't be with us anymore. She's... she's gone away"

I knew what really happened but I was too young to understand so I just accepted what he was telling us now.

"I will find a new wife and have more children, but you Munkustrap will always be the oldest and you will rule the tribe one day"

He nodded "Yes Deuteronomy"

Father didn't notice that he had called him by his usual name. To be honest I didn't really notice either.

Asparagus came in a little later. He brought our dinner and he also brought his two kittens, they were two months older then Munkustrap and I.

"I believe you know my children Deuteronomy" He told my father, "My daughter Jellylorum and my son Asparagus Jnr"

We had our dinner and left. Munkustrap and I curled up together, alone, for the first time. Father stayed in his chair all night.  
*******************************************************************

It took father a month to find a new wife, and a month after that I had three new stepbrothers. I walked into the cave and father smiled at me.

"Tugger. My wife's just had her kittens, you may go and see them if you like"

"Where's Munkustrap?" I asked.

"He's scouting the territory at the moment, he should be back shortly"

I nodded and walked into the room where my father's wife lay with her three sons. A red tabby, a black tabby, and a brown/grey mix.

"Hello" She said stiffly. She was a preppy dame who didn't like Munkustrap and me very much. "What do you want?"  
"I just wanted to see my stepbrothers, if you don't mind" I said to her.

"Fine"  
Safe to say our conversations were always short and to the point

She let me walk up to see them, I sneered.

"You call those cats? They're just balls of fur"

"Well excuse me Rum Tum Tugger, but you were exactly the same when you were born. Don't criticise my sons"

"Well, what are their names"

"I don't know yet. The naming of cats is a difficult matter, you know. I must think about it"

I rolled my eyes and went outside and there was Munkustrap and that black and white cat I had seen with my father. Out of instinct I hissed furiously and he recoiled but Munkustrap frowned.

"Don't be cruel Tugger, he's a friend. Tugger this is Animayus, Animayus this is my brother Rum Tum Tugger"

He nodded to me courteously and said "Nice to meet you" in a weak voice. But I was still cautious.

"Who are you exactly? And who was that ginger cat I saw with you"

"That cat was my father, his name's Macavity, he's protector of this tribe. And I'm just Animayus the Black and White Tiger Tabby"

He didn't seem too bad, it was his father that really creeped me out. So I let him hang out with Munkustrap and me... just to give him a chance. Even though she thought about it all day my stepmother still couldn't come up with anything. It wasn't until three days later that she came up with suitable names.

"Plato, Pouncival and Admetus" she said proudly.

"It took you three days to come up with that" I said to her rudely. I figured that if she was going to rude to me, I'd be rude back. She glared at me.

"There're wonderful names" She said. She looked up to my father, who was there, "Aren't they Deuteronomy?"

"Why yes dear," He replied. I don't what he saw in her. They were exact opposites, he was kind and she was wicked. Just goes to show stepmothers really are wicked.

About a day after their eyes opened, Munkustrap came running in with a kitten under him arm.

"Deuteronomy" He said "Look what I've found"

"Bring him here" My father ordered, Munkustrap handed him over and Deuteronomy looked him over. "Where did you find him?"

"On the border of our territory. He was all alone"

The kitten chose that moment to start looked like he could barely be older than my stepbrothers. Deuteronomy stood up and brought him into the room where his wife lay.

"Who is that?" I heard her ask.

"Munkustrap found him the forest all alone." He told her, "He's not weaned, and needs you feed him"

"Of course, Deuteronomy, until we find his parents he will be my son"

An hour later I looked in and the new kitten, a brown tabby, was curled up with Pouncival, the black tabby.

"What's his name?" I asked her.

"He says he doesn't have one." She told me "Poor dear, his mother abandoned him before she had even given him a name"

I knew what this was leading up to, another weeklong contemplation to find suitable name for this kitten.

"I suppose you're going to name him?" I asked her, but she shook her head.

"No I don't know if his parents are still out there. I will try and find them. I won't name him until I'm sure he has no parents. They must have named him something"

I went over to Munkustrap, who was sitting in the corner,

"What do you think?" I asked, Animayus answered.

"Personally I don't think he going to going anyway for a while. A kitten's only abandoned that young if it's not wanted"

And he was right, the kitten was with us for a long time. My stepmothers told him and her three sons they were all four brothers, and the kitten knew nothing more than that. All four were brothers.


	2. Chapter 2

Fanfic: Rum Tum Tugger Story

I don't own CATS (although I wish I did)  
*******************************************************************

One day I was baby-sitting the no name kitten. I had taken him to the city, against my stepmother's wishes, so he could see humans. He was loving every bit of it.

Suddenly, as I turned a corner, a net fell over my head! I screeched in surprise, and saw that a human had caught me. He wore uniform from the pound.

"Run No Name!" I ordered. I often called him that. "Go tell father that humans have caught me"

"Tugger!" he cried. He turned and ran, but he didn't get very far. Soon, another human with a uniform had netted him.

They put us in a truck full of other cats. Strays, apparently.

"Where are we going Tugger?" No Name asked fearfully.

"The humans are taking us to their animal shelter." I told him. "They will sell us to humans as pets. If a human doesn't buy us, they will kill us"

"Oh no." he cried "I don't want to die. I'm too young"

He cried the whole way there. When we arrived, they put us in separate cages, right next to each other. He just kept crying.

"Oh, can it." I growled after a while. I was in a bad mood. _These stupid humans were interfering with my plans!_ They would pay for that. Well, as soon as I could get free of this cage?

We sat in those cages for three days. On the fourth day, a tall man walked in and looked at No Name.

"Well aren't you handsome." He said. The kitten looked at me, frightened.

"Don't fight them" I told him. "If you do, they will kill you"

He let the human take him out the cage and pet him. Then the human said," How much for this one"

The uniformed human told him a price. The man smiled.

"I'll take him." he said. No Name looked down at me.

"It's alright, No Name." I told him. "Just go with it. He won't hurt you. He'll give you a human name, and then you could add something to it to make your real name"

I was trying to give him a little courage, but the poor kitten was petrified. A minute later, the human left with him, and I was alone in a room full of cages.

_Poor No Name_ I thought. _Scared to death with a human. _He'd learn to deal with being owned. Just like I would, if someone bought me before they killed me.

The next day, a dame was put in the cage next to mine. She smiled at me.

"Well, look at you!" she praised. "Aren't you a handsome little devil"

I smiled at the compliment. "Ay, well I do my best, miss"

She giggled. "and who might you be?"

"Rum Tum Tugger"

Her eyes widened. "I know you! You're Munkustrap's little brother"

"Yes I am." "I'm a Jellicle too! They've been looking all over for you, ever since you disappeared. You and the little brown tabby with no name"

"Yeah, he was in the very cage you are sitting in. Someone came in and took him yesterday. He has a home now"

"Well, I haven't introduced my self. My name is Jennyanydots. I'm a friend of Jellylorum"

"Oh yeah, Asparagus' daughter. I think I've seen you before now that I think about it." I cocked my head sideways to get a good look at her. "Yeah, I have seen you before with Miss. Jellylorum"

"Well, I'm glad I'll have some company while I'm here. I'm not really a stray. I'm owned, but my owners never put a collar on me, so the cat catchers picked me up. My humans should be over to get me sometime soon"

The next day, a human walked in. "There you are, Anna!" he said to Jennyanydots. "I've been looking all over for you"

As he took her out of the cage, he noticed a red tabby that was in the cage next to hers. I didn't find out his name, but he older than a kitten.

"Actually, I think I'll take him too." the human said. The cat catcher nodded.

"Alright. So sorry we got your dame here. But she really should wear a collar"

"Yes. She never ventures out of our house normally. She loves to just sit around and sleep"

The cat catcher got the red tabby and put him in a carrier. The tabby looked at me.

"Good look in finding your own family!" he said.

I stayed there, alone, for three more days. Then, they came.

"Mummy, I want a kitten! Mummy, I want a kitten"

"I know, Jimmy, we're going to get you a kitten"

A little boy, maybe three years old, ran down the hall, tugging on his mother's hand.

"Ooh, I want that one!" he pointed to one young cat. "No, that one! No, that one"

Then he looked at me "No, that one"

The boy's mother walked up to look at me. "You sure you want this one"

"Yeah! That one! That one"

She sighed. "Alright. How much for him"

The cat catcher gave her a price, and she took me out of the cage. "He is a friendly brute." She said. "I'll go get a carrier"

"No!" the boy cried. "No carrier! I want to carry him"

She handed me to the boy, and he wrapped his arms around my middle and squeezed. I yelped in pain.

"Oh, no, Jimmy, you're going to hurt him." she said, prying his little fingers from my ribs. I gasped for air as he kept squeezing. His mother went to do business with the cat catcher, and the little boy just kept squeezing the life out of me.

"His name is Spike!" he exclaimed to his mother. _Oh boy_ I thought grumpily as I tried to breathe. _What kind of family is this?_

In the end, I got put into a little boy kept poking me through the bars of the cage. I tried to ignore him. It wasn't easy.

" We have to get Spike a collar." His mother told him.

"No! Spike can wear Fido's collar!" the boy told her.

"But Jimmy, that's a dog collar"

"But it's got spikes on it! Just like Spike! He gets to wear that collar"

"Fine Jimmy. Whatever you want. He's your cat"

After ten minutes of torture in the car, we pulled up at a semi-nice house in the forest. I recognised it as part of the Jellicle territory. That was good. My tribe wasn't that far away.

A man who I assumed was the little devil's father stood outside"

"Daddy!" The brat cried." "I got a kitty"

"Wow Jimmy." he said. "What's his name?"

"Spike"

As the woman carried me into the house, the man whispered, "Spike? Where does he come with these names"

"He's your son." she whispered back. She put the carrier on the floor and the boy unlocked it.

"Come out and play with me, Spike!" he exclaimed. I hesitated, before slowly walking out. The little boy snatched me up and started to squeeze into oblivion again. His parents just smiled at him.

"Play nice with Spike." His mother told him. As I tried to run away from the boy, he grabbed my tail and pulled me back.

"Why don't you show Spike his litter box Jimmy?" his father suggested. Jimmy nodded and picked me up again. He carried me to a corner and stuck me in a box full of sand.

"This is where you go potty." He told me. Excuse me? I thought. I do not do my business in a box. To prove my point, I walked over to the front door, and scratched at it, trying to tell them to let me out.

"Oh, no." the mother said. "You don't go outside until you know this is your house"

Well, you just earned a present in your bed I thought. The kid tortured me for a few more minutes, before running into a different room to watch TV. I sat there and looked at the box full of sand.

I don't think so. I thought. But it was starting to get to me. I stood and started pacing uncomfortably. No. I told myself. I will not do my business in a box of sand. I can hold it. After a few minutes, it became clear to me that I couldn't hold it much longer. I ran to the front door and started to cry at the humans to let me out.

"No, no Spike." The woman said. "Not for a few days"

Just don't think about it. I told myself. It'll go away. I winced uncomfortably. I hope I kept pacing. To occupy my mind, I went into the kitchen. Drip, drip. Someone hadn't turned off the sink all the way.

_Aarrgg!_ I cried silently. I can't hold it any longer

I sat down and crossed my legs, hoping the humans wouldn't come in and see me in this strange position. I'm not going to use the stupid box. I'm not! I refuse to lose my dignity. I sat for about a minute, before I stood and ran into a room. Looking around, I realised it was a bedroom. Ha ha! I thought. The little creep's bed is the perfect place to relieve myself

I did my business, then went back into the living room. They wouldn't notice my present until that night. So I was pretty much off the hook until then.

"STUPID CAT"

I held back a laugh. That's what they get for not letting me outside.


	3. Chapter 3

Fanfic: Rum Tum Tugger Story

I don't own CATS (although I wish I did)  
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After a week, they finally let me outside. I figured out where I was, then ran to the cave where my father lived. Munkustrap greeted me at the entrance.

"Rum Tum Tugger!" he exclaimed "Where have you been? We've been so worried"

"It's a long story." I told him. "How's father and the siblings?"

"Well, stepmother disappeared right after you did. Lillabelle reported that she had run off with a younger Tom Cat. Tumblebrutus came back just a few days ago, and"

"Excuse me?" I interrupted. "Who is Tumblebrutus"

"Oh, he didn't tell you?"

"No, I haven't seen him"

"No Name named himself. Actually, he says that his owner named him Brutus, and he added Tumble to the front. So his name is Tumblebrutus"

"Ah"

Munkustrap pointed to my collar. "Got yourself some humans, I see"

"Yeah. A little brat"

"Aren't all humans?"

"This one's the worst." I smiled. "I wonder if he'll get the hint that I don't like the litter box"

Munkustrap laughed. "You are one bad boy, Tugger. There is some good news. Father has a new wife"

I rolled my eyes. "Another one?"

"Yep. And she's pregnant"

"Oh boy. More siblings. Well, we're still the best, right Munkustrap? We're the oldest"

"Yep. There are a few new cats in our tribe. One is a red tabby named Skimbleshanks. He lives with the train people, the people who owned Jennyanydots"

"Oh, yeah, he was in the pound with me"

"Father's taken a liking to Jellylorum. I didn't want to tell anybody, but I think that if something happens to his latest wife, she'll be the next one"

"Jellylorum? Asparagus' daughter? She's half his age"

"Yep, well, they don't care." I noticed that he was staring a my chest.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked him. He smiled.

"Have you noticed the ring of brown around the brown patch on your chest has gotten thicker?" He asked me. I looked down at my chest.

"No, not really"

"Well it is. You have that brown patch on your chest, and just the boarder where the brown meets the black, it's thicker than it was before"

I saw what he was talking about. "Oh, yeah." He looked up and smiled.

"Looks like you're growing a mane." He told me. That really made me check myself out.

"Cool!" I said with a laugh. "I wonder how long it'll be"

"Have to just wait and see, won't we"

"Yep. I guess"

We walked into the cave and my father stared at me.

"Tugger!" He exclaimed. "You're back"

"Yep. I'm back." I said proudly. "Notice anything different about me"  
I turned slowly so he could check me out. He frowned, then smiled.

"You're growing a mane." He told me. I smiled proudly.

"Cool, huh?" I asked. "Wonder who I got it from"

"My mother had a mane." He told me. "Your grandmother. It wasn't much but it was noticeable"

"Nice. So, where's the newest stepmother?"

He motioned to the next room. "In there. She's a doll. You'll love her Tugger"

I walked into the room and saw a calico dame grooming herself. Munkustrap walked in behind me. The dame looked, startled, at me.

"Who are you?" she asked. Munkustrap stepped forward.

"This is my brother, Rum Tum Tugger." He told her. She smiled and stood up to look me in the eye.

"Tugger!" She made it sound like we were old friends. "Your father's told me so much about you"

"Good things, I hope" I said back. She held out one hand.

"I'm Macy." She told me. I took her hand and kissed it like a gentleman. She giggled.

"I like a boy with good manners." She told me. "Now, from what I've heard, you had a tough time with your other stepmother. Well, I don't want you to think of me as a stepmother. Think of me as a friend"

I smiled at Munkustrap, "I think I like this one"

She stepped forward and touched my collar. "Where did you get this hideous thing?"

"My owners"

"Poor dear. Only a sick human would put a dog collar on a cat"

"It's not the collar that's bad. It's the humans"

She nodded knowingly. "Yes. I can imagine, a handsome young kitten like yourself being forced to be housecat. It must be hard"

"Yeah, well they've already gotten presents"

She giggled. "I like you, Tugger. You're much cooler than some of the other Jellicles I've seen"

"Like who?"

"Like your stepbrothers. Especially Pouncival. The moment he didn't have to live in the cave anymore, he went straight to the city, followed closely by Plato. Only Admetus stayed in the forest. Tumblebrutus lives with his owner on the far side of the forest"

Suddenly, Macy winced. She put one hand on her stomach, and the other on my shoulder for support.

"What's wrong?" I asked, worried.

"It's nothing. These kittens I'm carrying, they're getting bigger. They take up so much of my energy, just trying to stand up"

"Maybe we should leave you alone." Munkustrap suggested. He helped her lay down, and then led me out the room. I gasped when I saw who was standing there.  
The same ginger cat I had seen so long ago stood before my father as he had done before, this time with a pure black dame by his side, and Animayus just behind him.

"So that's Macavity. And who's the dame?" I asked Munkustrap.

"His best friend, Jestenta"

We stayed in the shadows and listened to their conversation. They were talking about something called the Jellicle Ball. I questioned Munkustrap.

"What's the Jellicle Ball?"

He shrugged. "Like I know. We'll have to ask"

Macavity, Jestenta and Animayus stayed a little longer, before leaving. Munkustrap and I walked up to father.

"Deuteronomy," He said. "What is the Jellicle Ball?"

"It's a huge celebration, Munkustrap. It happened once a year, and one cat will be chosen by me to go up to the Heavyside Layer to be reborn"

I knew what the Heavyside Layer was. It was what humans called "Cat Heaven.

"When is the Jellicle Ball?" I asked him.

"In a week." He told me. "Macavity is worried. He fears his father will cause some trouble"

"Who is his father?"

"Trusian, the evilest cat around. He is forcing Macavity to be a Jellicle, but he doesn't seem to mind. I just hope Macavity doesn't prove to be the traitor his is. I just hope Animayus will be alright, he seems to be nervous of everyone these days. He'll only talk to his dad or Jellylorum"

I looked around. "As much as I don't want to do this, I have to go home. My spoiled brat owner will screaming his head off because I'm not there"

"Don't hurt him too badly." Munkustrap teased as I left the cave.


	4. Chapter 4

Fanfic: Rum Tum Tugger Story

I don't own CATS (although I wish I did)  
*******************************************************************

In a week I snuck out of the house at night to meet Munkustrap. We were going to the Jellicle Ball.

"Where is it?" I asked him when I got there.

"Father says it's in a junkyard in the city, not far from where Pouncival lives"

"Well, lets go"

It took us about five minutes to get to the junkyard. Many other Jellicles were already there. Jennyanydots and Jellylorum both ran up me.

"Oh, isn't he just adorable!" Jellylorum cried.

They were like my aunts. Constantly swarming with "oh, how cute!" and "you're going to grow up to be so handsome!" Munkustrap laughed at me, because I was the one getting the attention.

"Tugger," he said. "I figured you'd get with the girls, but at least take ones your own age"

"Oh, shut up Munkustrap"

The two old crows left me after a few minutes. They had gone to talk to Animayus who'd had just come, looking really depressed. Before I had the chance to see him myself someone tapped me on the shoulder.

"Excuse me"

I turned around to see the black dame Munkustrap had called Jestenta, the one who was Macavity's friend.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Have you seen Macavity"

"No, sorry"

She looked worried. "He should be here by now. After all, he's the Jellicle Protector. He really should be here already"

Jestenta decided to hang out with me until her boyfriend arrived. She kept running her hand through my newly discovered mane. It was barely anything, but she loved it.

At one point, I left her for a moment to go chat with Animayus. I was away from her for barely two minutes, when I heard her scream of terror.

"Ahh"

Spinning around, I saw a red tabby with his hands around Jestenta's neck, choking her. She gasped for air and tried to scream again.

"Trusian!" Animayus cried and started to dash off but Trusian made him stay put. The other Jellicles started to flee the junkyard. I started to run over to Jestenta to help her, but Jennyanydots grabbed my arm and dragged me the other way.

"Run Tugger!" she cried. "This is no place for kittens"

"Who is that?" I demanded.

"Trusian! Macavity's father! He's come to kill! It's too late to save her. We must flee"

Jellylorum grabbed my other arm, and the two crows started to pull me away.

"No!!" I cried. "I can help her! Please! Let me go"

"No, Tugger." I heard from Munkustrap. "It's too late to save her. Let the grown Toms fight Trusian. We are not yet grown. We must flee with the rest of the kittens and the dames"

I stopped struggling and let them lead me away. It took me a minute to realise that I was crying.

A little way away, they let me go. I sat down on the kerb of the road and cried. Munkustrap walked and sat down beside me.

"What's wrong Tugger?" he asked quietly.

"It's my fault." I told him. "He wouldn't have attacked her if I had stayed by her side the whole time. I left her alone. But the moment I left her alone, he attacked her"

"Tugger, it's not your fault. Trusian would have found a way to kill her even if you had stayed with her. It's better this way. If you had stayed with her, you might be dead too"

I didn't want to listen to him. Poor Jestenta was dead. Just then, I remembered something.

"Wasn't Macavity the protector?" I asked Munkustrap.

"Yes. I don't know why he never showed up"

"Isn't his father Trusian?"

"Yes"

"Maybe they planned the whole thing. But why would he kill his best friend"

"I don't know. His whole family is pretty messed up"

Just then, a few cats rushed past me, running into a dark corner. I could hear faint gasping and panting from the corner.

"What's going on?" I asked Skimbleshanks he rushed by.

"Macy's kittens are coming!" he exclaimed. I jumped up and ran after him. Macy lay in the shadows, panting and sweating.

"Munkustrap!" I said, taking order of the situation. "You take her legs. I'll take her chest. We can carry her together back to the cave"

"Are you sure you're strong enough?" he asked.

"Yes! Now hurry"

He wrapped his arms around her legs, and I got my arms around her chest, and we picked her up. She wrapped her arms around mine, making sure that I didn't drop her. Then, we started towards the cave as fast as we could.

We made it there in five minutes, all three of us sweating and panting. We laid her on the floor of her room, then I left. After a moment Munkustrap also left.

"Good job, Tugger." He praised.

"For what?"

"Taking charge like that. You knew exactly what to do"

"Well, instinct"

Jellylorum and her brother Asparagus Jnr. came a few minutes later helping Deuteronomy and their father along. We had started calling Asparagus Senior just Gus, so we wouldn't confuse him with his son. They were both old and needed help walking far distances.

"Where's Macy?" Deuteronomy asked, worried.

"She's in her room." I told him. Jellylorum went into the room to help with the birth, because she understood that female stuff.

The next few minutes seemed like hours, as we heard nothing from the room, except the occasional gasp of pain from Macy. Half an hour later, Jellylorum walked out, crying.

"Deuteronomy." She said quietly. "Two females and a male. The male and one of females are identical twins"

"That's great!" Deuteronomy exclaimed, she shook her head.

"It was too much for Macy to handle." She told him. "She didn't survive it"

Deuteronomy's eyes widened, as he looked at the doorway to the room where his newest kittens slept. Where his wife lay, dead. His eyes closed, and he just sighed and shook his head.

"They will need a nursing mother." Jellylorum told him quietly. "Or they won't survive"

He nodded. "I know." He said. "But none of the females in the tribe are nursing"

"I might be able to help." I spoke up. They looked at me.

"Do you know a nursing female?" Jellylorum asked.

"No." I walked up to my father. "My owner, the little boy Jimmy, he sometimes drinks milk still. It's from a plastic container humans call a bottle. I might be able to steal some of it for the kittens. It won't be a lot, but it should be enough to keep them alive"

Father thought about it for a moment. Then he nodded. "Yes. You must go now and see if you can get some. The kittens will awaken soon with hunger"

I nodded and left, running. I ran all the way back to my house. Went into Jimmy's bedroom, where he lay sleeping. Beside him was a half empty bottle of milk.

Quietly, I took the bottle and ran back to the cave with it. Father motioned to the room, where I could hear the kittens crying for milk.

I walked into the room, and saw Jellylorum licking their fur clean. Two of them were black tabbies, and were absolutely identical in every way, except one was male and the other was female. The last kitten was a red female with a white chest and black paws.

I handed the bottle to Jellylorum. It was too big for the kittens to drink from, so she got some on her fingers and let the kittens suckle on it. It didn't look like they had drunk any of it once they were finished, but apparently they had.

"What will their names be?" I asked softly.

"Deuteronomy has named them." She pointed to the male twin. "He is Coricopat." She motioned to the female twin. "She is Tantomile." Then she pointed to the red one. "And she is Bombalurina"

I nodded, unsure of what to say. Macy's body wasn't in the room any more, Asparagus must have gone to give her a proper burial. I remembered what Munkustrap had said about Jellylorum probably being father's new wife if Macy died. I wondered if she knew about his liking to her.

I left the room, leaving Jellylorum with the kittens. I couldn't look Munkustrap or even Animayus on the eye. I just walked right out of the cave, and went home. *****************************************************

The next day, the Jellicle Tribe went to Deuteronomy's cave. It was the trial of Macavity. The ginger stood, head down, in front of everyone. Deuteronomy sat above him in his chair. Animayus was sitting at Deuteronomy's side. He was badly scratched and was crying quietly.

"Macavity." Deuteronomy started. "Do you know what you have done"

"It wasn't my fault." He said quietly.

"You are the protector of this tribe, am I correct"

"Yes"

"As the protector, you must be at every celebration and guard the other cats from harm. Last night was the Jellicle Ball. You broke two rules. One, you never showed up. Two, because you didn't show up, the kittens weren't protected. Trusian, your father, came and killed Jestenta"

At the sound of Trusian's name, Animayus trembled and placed his head into his hands to drown his was, himself, trying not to cry.

"I know." He said. "He cut off her tail and brought it to me"

"Now, I'm not saying you had any part in this terrible deed. I can't see any reason why any cat would kill his best friend anyway. But, I must ask, why didn't you show up"

"I wasn't able to"

"What happened last night"

"I had sent Animayus ahead of me. When I was about to leave for the ball, my father locked me in one of his cages. My mother let me out, but then father came with Animayus in tow. He gave me Jestenta's tail. Then, father and mother fought. He killed her, then started to attack Animayus, so then..." He looked down at his hands. "I killed him"

I realised then why Animayus was cut and also why he seemed so scared of his father.

Deuteronomy's eyes widened. "Macavity, you are expelled from this tribe. I suggest you go back to the cave where you live with the Forest Cats, and never come around here again"

"But"

"No objections. You are no longer a Jellicle. You are a Forest Cat"

Macavity said nothing. His body shuddered, then he glared up at Animayus and then to my father with an evil in his eyes I'd never seen before.

"You will regret whet you have just done." He hissed. "I will make you regret it. You will not have peace"

Then, Macavity and Animayus disappeared in a cloud of smoke! My fellow Jellicles, including me, gasped in surprise, as he just disappeared in a cloud of smoke and took his son with him.

"A conjurer." Deuteronomy whispered. "A conjurer, I can't believe it"

I knew then that we had just seen the birth of hadn't been anything like his father, he'd been a shy cat. But my father's words had hurt him. And now, he wasn't that shy cat any more. He would haunt us he died for expelling him from the tribe.


	5. Chapter 5

Fanfic: Rum Tum Tugger Story

I don't own CATS (although I wish I did)

**These next few chapters may be a bit on the short side due to the fact that I am currently studying for some very important exams.  
*********************************************************************

A few days after the new kitten's eyes opened, I was roaming the forest. Suddenly, someone attacked me from behind.

"Aah" I yelled out in surprise. It took me a moment to realise that I wasn't being attacked, that it was just kitten play. I spun round and saw a tiger tabby.

"Hello!" he exclaimed with a huge smile on his face. "Who might you be?"

"Rum Tum Tugger." I told him "Son of Deuteronomy."

"Ah! I be Mungojerrie, son of two cats I don't know." He gave me a sideways grin. "Don't suppose you're a Jellicle?"

"Why, yes I am."

"Great! I've been looking to get into that tribe. Don't suppose you could help me out a little?"

"Um, sure. Follow me."

I lead the strange cat through the forest, towards Deuteronomy's cave. I could see the twins playing, moving with exact motions. Bombalurina was nowhere to be seen. I assumed Munkustrap was babysitting her.

"Deuteronomy." I said. "Look what I've found."

He smiled at the tiger tabby. "Hello! And who might you be?"

"I be Mungojerrie! You the leader of this joint?"

"Um, yes, I am the leader of this tribe."

"Great! I want to be a Jellicle."

"Oh, really? Who are your parents?"

"Haven't a clue. Never met the folk."

"You've never met your parents?"

"Nope! That ain't a bad thing, is it?"

"Oh, no, it's just unusual. Do you have any friends?"

"Nah. I work by myself. The family just moved here from somewhere around the Thames."

"The family?"

"Yeah." He pointed to the collar around his neck, that I had just noticed. "The people. Only family I have got."

"Really?" I pointed to my collar. "I'm owned too. Humans are such strange creatures."

"Yeah, but mine are pushovers. I can get whatever I want from them."

Suddenly, Plato ran into the cave. "Father!" he cried. "Munkustrap and Bombalurina have been taken by the cat catchers!"

"Did you see this?"

"Yeah! They were right outside of my alley, when the truck came by and picked them up! We gotta help them!"

"Well, maybe not." Deuteronomy thought for a moment. "They might just sell them like they did to Tugger." He motioned to me. "We shouldn't worry yet."

Plato nodded. "Ok. I'll keep a watch out though."

He left, and Deuteronomy went back to the issue of Mungojerrie.

"You are a Jellicle." He told him. "But stay in our boundaries."

Mungojerrie smiled. "Yes sir!"

He gave him a cheeky little salute and then left, and I left soon after to go to the owners.

About a week after that incident, I was greeted by Munkustrap himself in the forest.

"Munkustrap!" I exclaimed. I circled him to get a good look at his new collar. "Nice. Much better than mine."

"Yeah." He sounded sad.

"What is it?"

"Well, Bombalurina was with me, remember?"

"Yeah."

"While we were in the pound, they had us in the same cage, because they were running out of cages."

"So?"

"While we were there, she went into heat."

I caught on immediately. "You didn't!"

He nodded sadly. "I did."

"Oh, Munkustrap. Sorry, brother."

"Yeah. But now I'm going to be a father."

That really opened my eyes. "But she's too young!"

"Apparently not. She's going to have kittens. And they're mine."

"Ugh." I moaned. "Poor bro. So young, yet, at the same time, so old."

"Yeah, well, father doesn't know it yet. Don't tell him, understand, Tugger? Don't."

"Oh, of course not! I'd never tell anyone if you didn't want me to! So what happened to her?"

"Well, she was adopted by some humans the day before I was. They are in for a big surprise in a month." He shook his head. "I can't believe this is happening to me."

"Well, stop torturing yourself. Father has taken a liking to Jellylorum, as you said. She is his newest wife, but no kittens yet."

"Great. So when they do have kittens, my kittens will have aunts and uncles who are younger than them."

I laughed. "That could get really confusing."

We had walked to the cave where Deuteronomy lived. He looked, wide eyed, at Munkustrap.

"Munkustrap!" he exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine." He toyed with the ring on his collar. "How can you put up with this thing wrapped around your neck all day, Tugger?"

" You get used to it."

"Where is Bombalurina?" Deuteronomy asked. "Is she alright?"

I could tell the question had come far to soon for Munkustrap. "Um, ah, she's fine. Also got some owners of her own."

"Ah." Deuteronomy gave him a strange look. "What's wrong, Munkustrap? There's something wrong, I can tell."

"Oh, it's nothing." He lied.

"You aren't lying to me, are you?"

I knew Munkustrap couldn't stand to lie twice in a row. He was going to crack. He was going to tell him.

Munkustrap burst out crying, and fell to his knees. "I'm so sorry, Deuteronomy! We didn't want it to happen!"

"What happened?"

"Bombalurina is going to have kittens. And I'm the father."

Deuteronomy's eyes got wide. "She's too young!"

"No, she's not. She's going to have them. I can't believe it."

Just then, Bombalurina happened to walk in. Actually, run in, and right into Deuteronomy's arms.

"Oh father!" she cried. "I was so scared!"

"Shh, it's alright." He told her. She looked down and saw Munkustrap for the first time. He just kept crying, and she started to too.

"Tell me all about it." Deuteronomy told her. She looked down at Munkustrap.

"I'm sorry." He told her. "I'm so sorry."

She clutched at Deuteronomy as if she was scared of Munkustrap. I couldn't blame her. She was barely two months old, and she was pregnant. That had to be scary for her.

Munkustrap stood and ran out of the cave, unable to face her. She looked back at Deuteronomy.

"Where are Tantomile and Coricopat?" she asked him.

"They've gone to live in the park." He told her. She sighed.

"I better go home. My owners will be worried."

As she walked by me, she smiled a silly grin. I felt one of her hands run down my back as she walked off.

"Ta ta, handsome." She whispered in my ear. "I'll see you later."

That night, I climbed up onto a desk where I normally wasn't allowed to go. Attached to the top of the desk was a mirror. I looked in it, and smiled.

_It's gotta be the mane._ I thought. _But you are one good-looking little Tom Cat, Tugger._

* * *

In a month, Bombalurina's kittens arrived. There were three, but because she was so young, two were stillborn. The last one, a calico, was named Demeter. She looked just like Macy, her grandmother.

About the same time Demeter was born, Deuteronomy announced that Jellylorum was pregnant. Also at the same time, Skimbleshanks and Jennyanydots announced that they were also expecting kittens in a month, the same time Jellylorum was.

In a month, I walked into the cave where Deuteronomy lived, and heard many excited voiced from Jellylorum's room.

"Are you sure she's pure white?"

"Yes! No other colours!"

"She is a very special cat. The only pure coloured cat in my tribe."

I walked in to see Deuteronomy, Jellylorum, Asparagus and Munkustrap, marvelling over a beautiful pure white female kitten. I must admit, even I was amazed. Beside the white one was a brown tabby female, but no one was looking at her. We were all staring at the white one in amazement.

"Pure white!" Munkustrap said again, unable to believe it.

"What will we name such a special cat?" Jellylorum asked Deuteronomy.

"A special cat needs a special name. We shall name her after the good queen, Victoria."

"What about the brown tabby?" I asked. He looked at her like it was the first time he'd noticed her.

"Oh. Um, how about Etcetera?"

_That girl's gonna get teased_. I thought. Poor little Etcetera is going to grow up to learn that her sister is better than her. All you have to hear is her name to know that she's not very special. Not nearly as special as Victoria. With startling realization, I remembered how I had felt when Munkustrap and I had been newborns. Everyone loved him, and I was just the little brother. Now it was the other way around. Everyone would love Victoria, and Etcetera would be known as the older sister.

There was a small celebration held that night for two reasons: one for the pure white kitten, and two, it was Munkustrap and my first birthday. Actually, that was in three days, but we figured we could celebrate it tonight.

While we were there, Deuteronomy looked confused.

"Where are Pouncival, Bombalurina and Demeter?" I heard him ask Munkustrap.

"I don't know. She told me she was leaving Demeter at home because she felt she was too young to leave the house. But I don't know where they could be."

Ten minutes later, Pouncival and Bombalurina walked in together. She was crying, and literately wrapped around him. He kept one arm around her, trying to comfort her.

"What happened?" Deuteronomy cried. Pouncival looked up at him.

"Macavity tried to seduce her." He told him. "I found them out in the forest, before he got to business."

"What happened to him?"

"He picked a fight with me." Pouncival smiled. "I broke his leg."

Deuteronomy motioned for Bombalurina to walk up to him. She didn't want to let go of Pouncival, so he walked down to her.

"I'm sorry, Bombalurina." He told her. "He won't bother you again. I promise."

She kept crying. She was saying something over and over again, but it was too quiet for me to hear. I stepped closer and understood her words.

"I love you, Pouncival." She whispered to him, over and over again. "I love you so much."

He nodded and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. They stood there, wrapped around each other in complete silence. No one spoke. Well, not until Etcetera decided she was hungry and started crying.

"Oh Etcetera." Jellylorum muttered. "Why is it that you're the one who's always wining?"

She left, and Pouncival and Bombalurina looked at each other. Then, they kissed.

* * *

Well, Bombalurina and Pouncival were an item for a while. They were always together, and could be seen kissing, and also, from time to time, half way into a make-out session. They looked great together too. And Demeter didn't seem to mind that her mother was in love with a Tom Cat who wasn't her father.

A few days after that incident, Munkustrap ran into the cave with a kitten in his arms. _Haven't I seen this scene before?_ I thought as he explained to Deuteronomy that he had found the kitten out in the forest, abandoned by her parents, just like Tumblebrutus. But this one had a name.

She called herself Electra. Her eyes weren't open yet, and she needed milk just as badly as Tumblebrutus had needed it when we had found him. So we gave her to Jellylorum, who fed and bathed the poor tortoiseshell kitten. But she refused to tell Electra that she was her mother.

"It is lying and I won't lie to a kitten." She told Deuteronomy. "She will know how we found her, and that we don't know who her parents are. But I will not call her my daughter."

A few days after Victoria, Etcetera, and Electra's eyes opened, Jennyanydots and Skimbleshanks brought out their daughter, a beautiful calico named Jemima. They had been waiting for her eyes to open before taking her to meet us.

The four kittens were all the same age, Jemima and Electra were just a little younger than Victoria and Etcetera. I could tell immediately by the way my father looked at Jemima that she would be a very popular kitten, just like Victoria.


	6. Chapter 6

Fanfic: Rum Tum Tugger Story

I don't own CATS (although I wish I did)  
*******************************************************************

A few days after they were weaned was the Jellicle Ball. The four kittens mostly stayed with their parents, but Etcetera and Electra broke free every once and a while to follow me around, grinning their kitten grins. I could imagine how I looked to them. After all, I was adorable.

About half way through the ball, Munkustrap noticed a cat that we'd never seen before. It was a very young tuxedo cat, a little older than Victoria and Etcetera. He was an unusual looking cat, with white socks and white on the tip of his tail, over the basic tuxedo pattern. He wore a small black bow tie around his neck, showing that he was owned.

Munkustrap hissed at him, and herded the tribe to the opposite side of the junkyard. The young tuxedo cat crawled out and looked, confused, at him. Jellylorum held Victoria and Etcetera's hands, but the white kitten looked very interested in this new kitten.

"Who are you?" Munkustrap hissed. The kitten didn't look frightened, more like he was curious about us.

"Are you the Jellicles?" he asked in a soft, kitten-like voice.

"Yes. Who are you?" Munkustrap asked again.

"I'm... interested in joining you tribe.... please." the small kitten said.

"You aren't getting anything until you tell us what your name is."

The kitten looked trapped. He thought for a moment, before shakily answering, "Mistoffelees."

"That's better. What do you want with us?"

"Munkustrap!" Deuteronomy scolded. "You're scaring the poor boy." He looked down at the kitten with a nice smile.

"Well, I see you are owned." Mistoffelees touched his bow tie proudly. "I don't see any problem with you being a Jellicle. Come up here."

The kitten stood fully and walked up to Deuteronomy. He bowed to him, and my father laughed.

"You are very much of a gentleman, Mistoffelees." He told him. "I have a question though."

"What is that?"

"Can you dance?"

Mistoffelees' eyes brightened. "Mother always said I was the best dancer she'd ever seen. She's not been her best for a while but it gives her joy to see me do so well. She said I was better than the older, more experienced dancers. She says it's because I'm so small."

"Well, can you show us?"

Mistoffelees nodded. "I'd love to."

He walked out into the centre of the junkyard. What he did next was truly amazing.

All Jellicles dance, and they dance beautifully. But this young kitten stood out there, by himself, and showed us all something. Most Jellicles, when dancing alone, dance slowly. But he went full at it.

That one tiny kitten took up the entire junkyard, with his twirling, and leaping in the air. He was a very bendable kitten, though all cats are bendable. He could bend in every way you could imagine, and he made it look like it was nothing at all. Keeping one foot on the ground and the other high above his head in a split, he held his arms above his head, bend his back in an arch, and twirled around in that position. He slowly lowered his other foot to the ground, but kept spinning, one leg wrapped around the other. Then, as he spun, he slowly got closer and closer to the ground, until he put his other foot on the ground and slowly stopped spinning. Then, he stood straight and proud, and bowed to Deuteronomy. My father clapped for him, amazed.

"That was truly wonderful, Mistoffelees." He told the young kitten, who was breathing heavily. "You are welcome in our tribe. Munkustrap, my eldest son, shall introduce you to the tribe."

My brother introduced him to all the cats in turn.

"This is Victoria." Munkustrap introduced him to the white cat. Mistoffelees took her hand in his and gave it a kiss, like a gentleman. She giggled, and their eyes locked together.

"It's nice to meet you." he said quietly, just so she could hear.

"Yes." She said back. "You too."

The stood there, never looking away from each other. Then, Jellylorum put her hands on Victoria's shoulders and gave Munkustrap a look that said, "Get him out of here!" I understood why. She wasn't too sure about Mistoffelees, and didn't want her daughter to take a liking to him. I knew how she felt. Something about this little tuxedo cat told me that he wasn't telling us everything we should know about him. Munkustrap took him up to me, and the kitten looked, curious, at me.

"This is my brother, Rum Tum Tugger." Munkustrap told him. I sneered at the kitten, and he backed away, frightened. Munkustrap glared at me for scaring him, and led him away.

"The little brat deserved it." I heard a voice say behind me. Spinning around, I saw Bombalurina standing there.

"Huh?" I asked, startled.

"He deserved it. I mean, he comes in here, says he's related to fatso, does a few splits and suddenly he's everyone's favourite? He needs to be taught his place."

"Oh, really?" I smiled and put one hand on her face. "Are you going to help me put him in his place?"

"Oh yes." She purred. Bombalurina had grown to be quite a little romantic. I guess having a daughter who was almost the same age as her, and nearly being seduced had made her grow up much faster than she should have.

I looked over for our new Jellicle. He sat with Deuteronomy, watching the rest of the tribe dance. He couldn't keep his eyes off of Victoria.

"Look at him." she said distastefully. "Staring at that white dame. He doesn't deserve her."

"I can fix that." I told her. I knew that Victoria had a mild crush on me, like all the other dames younger than me. So I knew what to do to make that more than just a mild crush. Once I was done with her, she'd forget all about Mistoffelees.

I walked down to where she was dancing. I grabbed her arm, pulled her close, and kissed her. When I broke away, she nearly fainted from happiness. I glanced over at Mistoffelees and saw his crushed expression. *Out of bounds.* I said silently. *I'll teach you your place in this tribe. And it's not with Victoria.*

To prove my point, I danced with her for a little while. She had the dreamiest smile on her face the whole time, and the other dames watched jealousy. I didn't really know until then that I was such hot stuff. But the looks those other dames were giving Victoria told me everything I needed to know.

After a fast dance, we all laid down to rest. Plato stayed standing, looking around. Deuteronomy had given him the job of helping the dames lose their innocence. That meant that during the resting time of the ball, he would stand up and see if any dame wished it done. If so, there was a special dance that only Plato knew, and only Plato had the right to do, with the dame, and by doing that dance, she lost her innocence. It wasn't mating, but it gave the dame the right to mate freely. Bombalurina was the right age to have it done, but she had already lost her innocence when she and Munkustrap had mated at the pound. So she didn't have to do it.

Plato was about to lay down, seeing no dame wanted it, but then Tantomile stood up. Her twin brother, Coricopat, gave her a worried look, not wanting her to do the dance yet. She smiled at him, telling him that it was alright, it was her time.

Plato and Tantomile rubbed their faces together, and he ran his hands down her body. Then, he picked her up, and held her upside-down over his head. Her upper body hung limply behind him, and she did a split above his head. He slowly turned in a circle, showing everyone that she was becoming an adult. Then, he slowly lowered her down. He pulled her forward so she wasn't upside-down anymore, and she rubbed faces with Coricopat. Then, Plato gently laid her on the ground, and the two curled up together with their arms around each other. Very few Toms had the strength to do the dance, for they had to hold the dame over their head for most of the dance. But Plato could do it.

Once we were rested enough to continue, the ball went on. Tantomile and Coricopat danced in sync with each other, as usual, but I could tell that he wasn't pleased by what she had done.

Mistoffelees caught on to the dancing very quickly, and could do it all, better than we could. At the end, Deuteronomy chose Lillabelle, Gus' mate, to go up to the Heaviside layer to be reborn. Gus wasn't there to say goodbye to her, for he had gotten too old to come to every ball.

All the way throughout the Jellicle Ball I had kept an eye on this kitten and something didn't seem right. He reminded me so much of Animayus it was uncanny. But I later heard a conversation that would explain so much:

"Why would you want to lie to them all Quaxo?" Came an unfamiliar voice. I didn't dare take a glance in case I was spotted but the cat in question was reasonably posh from the sound of it.

"They'd hate me if they found out who I really was." I heard Mistoffelees say.

"You could have at least told them your real name. Where did Mistoffelees come from?"

"It's my last name, it just sounds better for who I am that's all."

"And what about the costume?"

"If I'd shown them what I really look like they would have known my secret from the moment they saw me. Please Animayus, understand. I had to make myself look different so they would accept me."

At the sound of that name my heart skipped a beat. It couldn't be him, he was taken away by Macavity. I shook my head and took courage to look up. Mistoffelees was now alone looking down at the ground with no one else in sight. But a new feeling was now coming over me now as I watched the kitten, one of anger *that little liar* I thought in an outrage *Well, he'll soon learn how well liars are accepted into our tribe* I stalked out and he cried out in surprise.

"Tugger!" he stuttered. "What are you doing here?"

"I want some answers, kid, and I want them now." I demanded.

"What do you mean?"

"I heard your conversation."

If he had been human, he would have gone pale. "You heard?" he asked in a small voice.

"Yes I heard. So, do you mind explaining?"

He sighed. Then, he waved one hand over his head, and suddenly, he looked different! Well, he was still a tuxedo cat, but it was a real change.

He didn't have the white socks anymore, or the white on the tip of his tail. His fur was pure black, except the white on his chest and face. His black fur was so clean, it shined in the moonlight.

"I am a conjurer." He told me. "My full name is Quaxo Mistoffelees. I didn't come here to be in the tribe as such, I came here to find my father. He left me before my eyes opened, and I must find him."

"Why did you lie to us?"

"I didn't think you'd trust a conjurer, especially after Macavity. So I made that costume. I dropped the Quaxo from my name, simply to be called Mistoffelees. I hate that name, Quaxo. It doesn't sound like the name of a conjurer at all."

I shook my head. "I was really starting to dislike you, Mistoffelees."

He looked confused. "I thought you'd hate me. I mean, the cat who's been terrorising your tribe is a conjurer."

"But he's just one conjurer."

"Please, Tugger, don't tell anyone. I couldn't bear to know that I was different than the other cats. I've been teased terribly, just because of my magic. Please, Tugger, keep this to ourselves. My name is Mistoffelees." He changed back to what he had originally looked like. "I look like this. And I have no powers."

I smiled. "Right. Whatever you say, Mistoffelees."

"I have a nice little corner of the forest to live." He said. "It's great, but it's right on the boarder of Persian territory."

"Wait a minute." I pointed to his bow tie. "Aren't you owned?"

He shook his head. "No. I made this bow tie so that the cat catchers would think I was owned, and wouldn't catch me. But I've never been owned."

"You will take some getting used to."

"I know."


	7. Chapter 7

Fanfic: Rum Tum Tugger Story

I don't own CATS (although I wish I did)  
*******************************************************************

About a month after the Jellicle Ball, I was visiting Deuteronomy. Suddenly, Pouncival walked in, three cats in tow.

"Deuteronomy." He announced. "May I present, the Lady Cassandra, her sister Exotica, and her mate, Alonzo."

I had to laugh. Pouncival was a little extreme at times. Cassandra was a foxy dame, a Havana brown. Her sister, Exotica, was also a Havana brown, though slightly darker brown. With them was a tough-looking black and white mix, who was holding hands with Cassandra. That must be her mate, Alonzo. He glared at Pouncival, and the black tabby glared right back.

"Why, hello." Deuteronomy greeted them. Cassandra nodded her head at him. "Do you wish to be Jellicles?"

"Yes." She told him. Her eyes drifted towards me, and I gave her my knockout smile. Alonzo glared at me. I could tell that he was a protective boyfriend, and would tolerate no one messing around with his girl.

"You have light points, like a Siamese." Deuteronomy told Cassandra. "I've never seen a Havana with points before."

"My mother? she looked over at Exotica. "Our mother, was a Siamese. Exotica didn't take her markings, but I have them, lightly. I am a Havana brown, though. I am not a Siamese."

"Well, I see no reason why you shouldn't become Jellicles." He looked over at Alonzo. "How old are you?"

"Two years." He said. I could tell by his voice that he thought he was hot stuff. Well, maybe he had been where he had come from. But this was a whole new part of the forest. In this tribe, I was the ladies cat. He could wallow at my feet.

"You are the same age of my two eldest sons." Deuteronomy told him. He pointed to me. "Rum Tum Tugger, is the younger of the two."

Alonzo made a face that said, "It shows". I returned that look with one of my own that said, "back off, newcomer. This is my territory."

While her boyfriend was giving me nasty looks, Cassandra looked impressed. My mane had finally reached its full length, so I looked great. Exotica didn't look interested, to my disappointment. I'd have to work extra hard for her attention.

I could see Pouncival already had a crush on Cassandra. I didn't blame him. She was a very foxy dame, not as sexy as Bombalurina, but almost. Alonzo may have been an idiot, but he had a reason to be protective over his mate. Every Tom Cat in the tribe was going to go after her.

I left a moment later, getting tired of exchanging hate-looks with Alonzo. I slowly started to walk to my home, not wanting to get there fast, but going that general direction. Suddenly, I heard a voice in the bushes.

"Hello?"

I turned to see the strangest cat I've ever seen. She was brownish, greyish, blackish in colour, and her ears and tail were twice as big as they should have been. Her tail dragged the ground, it was so long. She gave me the look every dame gives me nowadays.

"Hi." I said coolly. "And who are you?"

"My name is Ambent." She told me. "My humans are visiting friends here for a few weeks, and are leaving in three days. I live in Liverpool."

"Ah." I gave her a strange look. "Not to sound stupid or anything, but what are you?"

She laughed. "A Devon Rex." She looked me up and down, and slowly walked up to me so she could touch my mane. She gave me a sexy smile.

"You are very handsome." She purred to me. "I don't suppose we could go out together sometime before I leave?"

I gave her my knockout smile, and held her hand. "It would be my pleasure. I can take you out to the harbour tonight, if that pleases you."

"It would be great."

"Alright then. Where are you staying?"

She pointed east. "That direction, not far. Meet me there at dusk."

As she started to walk away, she spun around.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I'm not one to brag, but I must tell my friends at Liverpool about you. I didn't catch your name."

I just kept smiling. "Tell them you went on a date with The Rum Tum Tugger."

And that is how I got my title.

After we separated, I went to the junkyard where the Jellicle Ball is held. I could see Mistoffelees standing there, with Etcetera, Electra, Jemima, and Victoria all kneeling at his feet, watching him with great interest. As I watched, he did a few of the steps he had done when he had danced solo for us. Apparently the four kittens had asked for a dancing lesson.

_I'll show him._ I thought. _You don't get far in the tribe only being able to dance. You need looks._

I walked into the junkyard, and Etcetera squealed with delight. A moment later, all four of the kittens had run up to me, running their hands through my mane, and swatting at my tail. I carefully avoided Mistoffelees' piercing gaze. Instead, I whispered to Etcetera, who had her hands on my shoulders.

"Hey." I whispered in her ear. "You, me, at the harbour, tomorrow night. Be there."

She nearly fainted. None of the other girls had heard what I had said, but she was bursting with happiness.

"Hey, little kitties." A sexy voice said. Bombalurina walked up. "Step aside. I'll show you how to get the boy's attention."

She shoed the kittens away, grabbed my mane in her hands, pulled me closer to her, and kissed me! The kittens gasped as we stood together for a moment, then she let me go.

"Now that? she told them. "Is how you treat a Tom Cat."

She walked away as quickly as she had come, and the kittens were all over me again.

"Kisses!" they cried. "We want kisses too!"

"Hey, girls, all in time." I told them. "You'll all get kisses, I can guarantee it. Just wait for the day when you get asked on a date with me. It'll happen. Don't worry. Weren't you guys in the middle of a dance class?"

"Oh, we want to stay with you, Tugger!" Electra exclaimed. I laughed and pushed them away gently.

"I have to go home." I told them. "The monster will be crying for me. I'm needed elsewhere."

The kittens all made their protests, but I soon left. As I walked off, I gave Mistoffelees a superior look, as he looked at me with a look I couldn't read.

That afternoon was the trial of Alonzo. I had no clue what it was for, but apparently he did something wrong, because he stood in the middle of the cave, head down, just like Macavity had done at his trial. The tribe went to the cave to watch, but I noticed Jellylorum looking around frantically for her daughters. Jennyanydots was too looking for Jemima.

As I walked in, I saw that Pouncival was sitting with Deuteronomy. He had his face hidden in his hands, but I could guess that this trial had something to do with him. I was right.

Deuteronomy looked around, confused. "Where are Victoria, Etcetera, Electra, and Jemima?"

"They were with Mistoffelees in the city." I told him. Jellylorum gasped and started crying. She didn't trust the tuxedo cat, and immediately figured that he had done something to the four girls.

"Well, we'll deal with Mistoffelees later." Deuteronomy told us. "This trial is for Alonzo. Now, he was just made a Jellicle earlier today. Most of you don't know him yet. But he had already broken a rule."

Alonzo did not look like he felt guilty. Cassandra and Exotica sat off to the side, worried about their friend.

"Now, Alonzo, do you know what you have done?" Deuteronomy asked him quietly.

"I don't think it was wrong." He said angrily. "He deserved it."

"Alonzo, our tribe doesn't work that way. You can't do that."

Alonzo pointed at Pouncival, who still had his face hidden. "It was all his fault!"

Deuteronomy shook his head. Then, he looked over at Pouncival.

"Pouncival." He said. "Show them your face."

The black tabby slowly moved his hands, and the tribe gasped in horror. There was a long gash across Pouncival's face, which went under his left eye and across his nose. His fur was matted and damp from blood and his tears.

"Alonzo, I know every cat fights." Deuteronomy told him. "When I was young, I used to fight also. But you nearly blinded him."

Alonzo looked very distressed. "He was trying to seduce my mate!" he screamed in fury.

"No." Pouncival said quietly. "I was just trying to make friends with her. It got slightly out of hand."

"Can I ask a question?" Alonzo asked.

"Go ahead." Deuteronomy told him.

"Does Pouncival have a mate? Or a girlfriend?"

"Yes. Bombalurina is his girlfriend."

Alonzo looked around at the tribe. "Who is Bombalurina?"

She stood up. "I am."

"Your boyfriend was cheating on you today." He told her. "He was literately on top of my mate. What do you think about that?"

She glared at Pouncival. "I think that we are no longer an item. In fact, I think I never want to see your cheating, scarred up face again."

Bombalurina left, dragging Demeter along behind her. Tears streamed down Pouncival's face, as the trial kept going.

I left early, after all, I had a date with that Devon Rex. I didn't want to miss that.


	8. Chapter 8

Fanfic: Rum Tum Tugger Story

I don't own CATS (although I wish I did)  
*******************************************************************

I met her in front of the place she was staying.

"Hey, Ambent." I called to her. She smiled.

"Hello, Rum Tum Tugger."

I put one arm around her. "Please, call me Tugger. It's so much easier."

"Alright, Tugger it is. So, where are we going?"

"There's a fireworks show at the harbour tonight. Wanna go there?"

"Sure."

We went to the harbour, and she couldn't take her eyes off of me. I couldn't blame her. After all, she had a date with the hottest Tom Cat in London.

We stayed at the harbour until midnight, then I took her home. It wasn't until we were right outside of her place that we started to make a real scene.

We had just started to really get into it, when a light went on in the house.

"Lilly?" A human voice said. "Lilly? Where are you?"

I paid no attention to the human, and kept doing what I was doing. Then, the human stepped outside.

"What the? he gasped. "Stupid cat! Get off of her!"

The human stalked up and picked me up by the scruff of the neck. He fiddled with my collar, looking for my license so he could figure out where I lived. Then, he picked Ambent up by the scruff of her neck, and started to carry us to my house.

"Oh, I am in some big trouble." I moaned. "Wonder what they're gonna do to me?"

"It can't be that bad." She told me. "What's the worst a human can do?"

I didn't want to think about it. A moment later, we had arrived at my house. The human put Ambent down and told her to stay there. She obeyed, at he knocked on the door.

A moment later, the woman came out.

"Is this your cat?" the man asked angrily.

"Why, yes!" she was surprised. "What's wrong?"

"He was screwing my kitten!" He literately threw me at her. "Here! He's your monster!"

She took me from him. "So sorry, sir. We'll have to go get him fixed."

_No!!!!_ I cried out in my head. _You can't fix me! I'm the ladies cat! You can't take away my manhood!_

"Yes, you do that." The man told her. "Lilly just better not end up with kittens."

He picked up Ambent and carried her away, and that was the last I saw of her. The woman just closed the door and shook her head.

"Shame on you, Spike." She scolded. "You sick cat. I'll make an appointment with the vet to get you fixed."

_Well, there's the end of my life_. I thought. _Just take away my title as the cool-cat. Just take my pride!_

She put me down and went back to her room to sleep.

The next day, I had expected to have PFM. It's something us Tom Cats go through. It's actually short for "Pain of First Mating". Every male cat gets it the day after they get it on for the first time. So I really expected the pain.

It never came. I had heard about certain males that never got it. But it was very rare. Oh well, I was glad I didn't get it. From what I've heard, it's the second most painful thing a male cat can go through. The first is getting kicked in the groin.

I left the house before the humans woke up, so that I could get out. I went right to where Mistoffelees was living. I wanted to know what had happened last evening, because he and the four female kittens had never showed up. I had a feeling he had something to do with it.

I was not nice with him. I was mad for many reasons, and was going to take it out on him. So I was not nice.

I walked up behind him, put one arm around his neck, and started to choke him. He grabbed my arm and started gasping for air.

"What happened last night?" I hissed to him. He kept gasping and clawing at my arm.

"Stop it!" he gasped voicelessly. "Let go!"

I pulled my arm tighter around his neck, and he couldn't breathe at all. His eyes rolled back in his head, and his fighting got weaker.

"What happened?" I demanded. "Tell me, Quaxo."

Suddenly, a volt of electricity went through my body! I screamed in pain, and let him go. The moment I let him go, the pain stopped. He fell to his knees, both hands around his neck, breathing in short, quick gasps.

"Don't. Call. Me. Quaxo." He gasped. "I don't want to use my magic against you. Don't make me do that again."

"You were with those four kittens." I accused. "They never showed up for the trial yesterday. Neither did you."

"I know. I tried to stop them, but it was too late. They took her."

"Who?"

"The cat catchers! The humans with the nets! They took Victoria! I got the other three away, but they took her."

It took me a minute to catch on to that. "They took Victoria?"

"Yes!"

"Why didn't you use your magic?!" I practically screamed.

"I was taught never to use my powers in front of humans. I can't let them catch me. I'm too valuable."

"What happened to the other three?"

"I took them home, one by one. Jellylorum hates me. She thinks I did something to Victoria."

"Well, nobody knows you."

He was trying not to start crying. "They better not do anything to her."

"Hey." I knelt down and pointed to my collar. "The same thing happened to me when I was her age. I was careless, and the humans caught me. They didn't do anything bad to me. They sold me to humans as a housecat for the rest of my life, but they didn't harm me."

"I've heard that if a human doesn't buy you, the cat catchers will kill you."

"They won't kill her. She's so sweet, I know for a fact that some lucky human is going to take her home."

I stayed and comforted him for a moment, before leaving. _He's not that bad for a liar_. I thought. _So what if he has secrets? He's a pretty cool little Tom Cat._

That night I had my date with Etcetera. She practically leaped into my arms the moment she saw me.

"Oh Tugger!" she exclaimed. "Where are we going tonight?"

"Where do you want to go?" I purred to her.

"Lover's Oak."

I shook my head. "That's one spot that's out-of-bounds with my dates. I'll take you to the harbour."

We went on our date, and went fully into it, just like on my date with Ambent, except we weren't interrupted. When we separated in the forest, she had a smile that was a mile long, and happiness in her eyes.

The next day, Munkustrap gave us some good news. Apparently his owners had gone to the pound to get him some food, and hadn't been able to resist Victoria. So now Munkustrap had a roommate. She wasn't allowed out of the house for a week, but at least we knew she was safe now.

Bombalurina insisted on a date with me, so I obliged and we went to the harbour. She, too, wanted to go to Lover's Oak, but I explained to her that I don't go there with any old date. She was much more stubborn than Etcetera, but I got my way in the end.

Alonzo apparently didn't get into too much trouble for his fight with Pouncival. It's a shame, really. I would have loved to see the look on his face when he's expelled from the tribe. Of course, he might have turned evil like Macavity had done when he was expelled.


	9. Chapter 9

Fanfic: Rum Tum Tugger Story

I don't own CATS (although I wish I did)  
*******************************************************************

I got a little bit of news on Macavity. Apparently he lived in a large cave somewhere in the land of the Forest Cats. No one knew where it was. He had forced all the female cats who had worked for his father out of the cave, saying that he only wanted male workers.

I remember seeing Mungojerrie in his front yard, a dreamy look on his face.

"Hey, airhead." I spoke up, bringing him back to Earth. "Wake up."

"Oh, hi Tugger." He said, not very interested.

"Well, what happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"That look on your face tells me that something happened. And from that dreamy smile, it was something good."

His grin got wider. "Oh yes. Very good."

"Well, do tell."

"My owners just bought the most beautiful dame in the world! The moment I laid eyes on her, I fell in love!"

"What's her name?"

"Rumpelteaser."

I laughed. "Her name doesn't express her beauty. When can I meet her?"

He gave me a stern look. "Oh no you don't. She's my girl, Tugger. She may not like me yet, but don't you go taking her away before I can get my paws on her. You have every other dame in the tribe. Leave Rumpelteaser alone."

"Well, I won't try to pick up on her, but I can't help it if she comes running to me. She in the house?"

"Yeah. Isn't allowed outside yet."

Suddenly I heard a CRASH!

"HORRIBLE CAT!"

I heard a loud giggle, and a small dame ran from the house as fast as she could. She was a tiger tabby, just like Mungojerrie, and they looked almost exactly alike.

"What did you do?" Mungojerrie asked, trying not to laugh.

"Got into the birthday cake." Just then, she noticed me. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"Why, look at you!" she exclaimed. "Have I died and gone to Heaviside?"

Mungojerrie sighed. "No. This is my friend, Rum Tum Tugger."

Her eyes scanned me. "Aren't you just as handsome as can be. Bet you don't have a hard time getting a date."

"Oh, no miss." I looked her up and down and gave her my smile. "But I am available at the moment."

Mungojerrie glared at me. Rumpelteaser was delighted.

"Well, we may just have to go out some night." She told me.

"Maybe."

Just then, a rather large human stalked out onto the front porch.

"Hey!" she yelled. "That Tom Cat's back!"

"Uh oh." I muttered. "Busted. I gotta go."

The human started to throw rocks at me. "Get out of here! Horrible Tom Cat! Keep your filthy paws away from my new kitten!"

I turned and ran off, as Rumpelteaser looked after me with a smile.

The moment I got home, I knew something had happened, and I wasn't going to like it.

"Spike!" The woman (I found out her name was Claire) said cheerfully as I walked into the door. "What a little treat?"

That was a little too nice from Claire. She was up to something.

"Come here, Spike." She said nicely. "Come have a treat."

I hesitated, before slowly walking up to her. She picked me up gently and started to pet me.

As she petted me, she walked into the living room. And then I saw the reason for the kindness.

The cat carrier.

"No!" I cried, but all she heard was, "meow!" I started to struggle, and she shoved me into the carrier.

"We're just going to take a little trip, Spike." She told me.

Fifteen minutes of torture in the car later, we pulled up at the vet's office. That's when I got really scared. She had said that she was going to fix me. Could she be carrying out that threat?

"Mrs. Partridge?" A man in a white uniform greeted her.

"Yes." Claire told him.

"Right on time. If you'll follow me, I'll take you to the operating room."

Now you have to understand that this was starting to be a living nightmare for me. To take away a Tom's manhood is just cruel.

A new human walked up. "What's this?"

"This is Mrs. Partridge with Spike. He's getting neutered."

_Oh god no._ I thought, dreading what was coming. _They're really going to do this to me. _

The first human took the cage from Claire. "If you would wait outside, Ms, we'll have him back to you as soon as we're done."

She nodded and walked away. The human took me out of the carrier, and put me on a shinny table.

"No!" I cried. The human's understood nothing.

"It's alright, Spike. This may sting a little, though."

I was not going to stand for this, there was no way they were fixing me. And with that I scratched the hand that held me and leaped down of the table. One crash against the door corner was all that was needed to smash the license on my collar and then I was off.

I was not going back there again and I didn't care of that little brat cried from now until next year.

I ran into forest panting for breath, and got an even greater shock when Mistoffelees appeared behind me and asked me what I doing.

"Don't you dare sneak up on me like that again." I yelled, with all the breath I had.

"I just asked what was wrong. Sorry by the way."

"Fine. I just ran away from my owners and I'm not going back. They idiots tried to fix me."

Mistoffelees started cracking with laughter.

"Oi, this was no laughing matter. A life without dames is meaningless to me. It's the only thing that makes me feel important."

"I'm sorry, where are you going to stay now then?"

"That's sorted, I built a den ages ago in the forest thicket. It's still there and in good form so I'll use that."

"And if they find you?"

"Run away. Best invention in the world."


	10. Chapter 10

Fanfic: Rum Tum Tugger Story

I don't own CATS (although I wish I did)  
*******************************************************************

I was living the high life now and still hadn't been re-caught. My father had frowned at first when he heard what I'd done but he understood either way.

Many dates later was the Jellicle Ball. I didn't come out at first. I stayed back and watched them.

_Why are they singing about that darn Gumbie Cat?_ I thought to myself. _She's no one special!_

My airhead brother Munkustrap was singing about Jennyanydots. I personally saw no reason in it whatsoever. I mean, she's a Gumbie Cat. She sits around all day. So what?

A while into that song, I decided to make my appearance. If they can sing about that lazy dame, they can sing about me. I'm much more interesting.

The moment I interrupted the song, it became clear to me that the dames of the tribe had been busy this last year. They had made up their own song for me.

"The Rum Tum Tugger is a Curious Cat!" they sang. It wasn't a bad description. I decided that now would be the perfect time to strut my stuff, and I did.

Certain parts of the song, they left blank, and I got to sing. The dames followed me around the whole time, singing about me.

"The Rum Tum Tugger is a Curious Cat! And there isn't any need for me to spout it! For he will do as he do do,"

"And," I said, deciding to end the song. "There's no doing anything about?

The dames who were kneeling at my feet started to scream! They calmed down after a moment, and I tried again to finish the song.

"About!"

Again, they started screaming! When they were done, I tried again to finish.

"About"

Etcetera was the only one who screamed that time. I figured she'd stop, but she just kept screaming. I got bored with it and silenced her by putting one hand over her mouth.

"About it!" I finally finished. Etcetera fainted, and the other dames all reached out to touch me. I walked away, teasing them, and they just kept running after me.

I had run up to stand on the hood of a car, the dames on the ground reaching for me. Suddenly, I saw an old, ragged dame limping out of the shadows. She had a smile on her face, her eyes never leaving me.

I said something rude and stalked off, angry because she had interrupted my song. Her smile faded, apparently she had come out to get a better look at me. Munkustrap held the kittens away from her as they looked at her curiously. She wasn't part of our tribe, and wasn't welcome to it.

"Remark the cat who hesitates towards you? she hissed to Munkustrap. "On the light of the door which opens on her like a grin."

Jellylorum stepped towards her, Etcetera and Victoria at her heals. The old dame turned, angrily.

"You see the boarder of her coat is torn and stained with sand!" she hissed at Jellylorum, who herded her daughters away. The old cat turned to see Cassandra smirking at her.

"And you see the corner of her eye twist like a crooked pin!" she hissed to Cassandra. The Havana gave Munkustrap an unimpressed look, before going to stand with Alonzo.

The old dame started to walk off, smirking, when Demeter walked forward.

"She haunted many a low resort." Demeter told us. The old cat stopped to listen. "Near the grimy road of Tottenham Court. She flitted about the no-mans land, from The Rising Sun, to The Friend At Hand, and the postman sighed as he scratched his head. 'You'd really have thought she'd ought to be dead.' And who would ever suppose that that was Grizabella: The Glamour Cat?"

The old dame cringed at her name.

"Grizabella: The Glamour Cat." Bombalurina came to stand by her daughter. "Grizabella: The Glamour Cat! Who'd have ever supposed that that was Grizabella: The Glamour Cat?"

Grizabella limped out of the junkyard, trying not to cry. Demeter ran after her to make sure she was gone, as Mistoffelees greeted his uncle, who had just stepped out.

Jennyanydots sang a song about Bustopher Jones, another cat I see no point in singing about. He's just a fat cat.

They were well into that song, when we heard a CRASH! Bustopher ran off, frightened, as the other Jellicles looked around for trouble.

"Macavity!" Demeter hissed. Everyone left the junkyard, knowing he was lurking around. Munkustrap left last, making sure no one was left there with the demon.

A moment later, I heard a familiar giggle. Someone shushed it, and then two tiger tabbies crept out. It was Mungojerrie and Rumpelteaser.

They sang their own song, about themselves and the crimes they commit at their home. I wondered why they would come out after Macavity had been spotted. But with those two, you'll never know.

After a while, the rest of the tribe ran out, surprising the duo. I stayed in my corner, watching the whole thing, mostly because I knew that I would get no peace if I stepped back out there.

After Mungojerrie and Rumpelteaser had been scolded, Mistoffelees broke away from the crowd, sniffing the air. A smile crept onto his face, and I heard him whisper,

"Old Deuteronomy?"

Tantomile and Coricopat, the twins, also broke away. They confirmed his thoughts.

"I believe it is Old Deuteronomy!" they said together. Every cat got to the ground to clean themselves, making themselves presentable for the leader. Mistoffelees ran off to help him the last few steps of his journey.

I walked out to stand on a drainpipe, as Munkustrap told the tribe about Deuteronomy.

"Old Deuteronomy's lived a long time. He's a cat who has lived many lives in succession. He was famous in proverb, and famous in rhyme, a long while before Queen Victoria's accession."

I decided that because I was his second oldest son, I could tell about him too.

"Old Deuteronomy's buried nine wives." I said from my corner. Munkustrap walked up to me to listen to what I had to say.

"And more, I am tempted to say, ninety-nine. And his numerous progeny prospers and thrives, and the village is proud of him in his decline."

"At the sight of that placid and bland physiognomy," Munkustrap took over. "When he sits in the sun on the vicarage wall, the oldest inhabitant croaks - 'Well of all things, can it be really? No, yes, ho hi, oh my eye! My mind may be wondering but I confess, I believe it is Old Deuteronomy!"

The tribe grouped together in the centre of the junkyard, except for me, I stayed in the corner. Just then, Mistoffelees approached, in the company of Deuteronomy.

Our great leader walked into the junkyard, and every cat ran up to him, touching him, and greeting him. He looked up at me, an amused look on his face. With a smile, I bowed to him, showing him that I too respected him. His smile grew wider, as he walked up to sit on the old tire where he always sits for the ball. Munkustrap turned to address the whole tribe.

"Jellicle Cats meet once a year, on the night we make the Jellicle Choice!" he told them. "And now that the Jellicle Leader is here, Jellicle Cats can all rejoice!"

All my fellow cats mingled amongst each other, and I knew what was going to happen. Each year, Munkustrap would tell a story to Deuteronomy, and the rest of the tribe would act it out, as a play. Each year it was different.

"Of the awful battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles!" Munkustrap said so the whole tribe knew what story he was telling. "Together with some account of the participation of the Pugs and the Poms, and the intervention of the great Rumpuscat!"

All the dames went to one side of the junkyard and the Toms went to the other, and Munkustrap stood in the middle and started the story.

It was a well-known story about when the four dog tribes, the Pekes, Pollicles, Pugs, and Poms, had met together in the park, and fought a great battle. They would have gone on until every dog was dead, but then the great Rumpuscat had scared them off. I never did believe in Rumpuscat. He's just a fairy tale that mother cats tell to their kittens.

The dames were pretending to be the Pekes, and the Toms were the Pollicles. They did good dog impressions, barking ceaselessly at each other until even Munkustrap was irritated.

I decided to make my mark in the story. He was telling about the Scottish Pollicles, and I had the perfect plan.

The Toms had just marched out playing their part and speaking in sync. "There are dogs out of every nation, the Irish, the Welsh, and the Dane. The Russian, the Dutch, the Dalmatian, and even from China and Spain the Poodle, the Pom, the Alsatian, and the mastiff who walks on a chain. And to those that are frisky and frollicle, let my meaning be perfectly plain: that my name, it is Little Tom Pollicle, and you'd better not do it again!"

That's about when I made my appearance. I ran out toting a homemade bagpipe, and playing it as well as I could. The dames ran up to me, but Munkustrap pushed them away, as I walked off again. It was a good touch to the story, and it sure made Deuteronomy laugh.

Admetus got to play the part of Rumpuscat. He'd always been a big believer of him, so he was delighted.

After Admetus had chased all the "dogs" away, everyone came back and praised him.

"All hail and all bow to the great Rumpuscat!"

Everyone knelt at Deuteronomy's feet again, as I stood off to the side to watch. Our leader started to tell them about Pollicles and Jellicles, when another CRASH! was heard.

"Macavity!" Demeter hissed again. All the Jellicles, except Munkustrap, Deuteronomy, and Mistoffelees, ran off. Munkustrap stayed to guard Deuteronomy, because he couldn't run off that fast. Mistoffelees stayed so he could hide behind Deuteronomy. The leader soon shoed him off, and the tuxedo cat ran into the shadows.

Victoria and Jemima ran back out to stand before Deuteronomy. They started to sing, as Alonzo watched from the shadows.

"Jellicle Cats come out tonight, Jellicle Cats come one, come all. The Jellicle Moon is shining bright, Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball."

Alonzo strutted out. "Jellicle Cats are black and white. Jellicle Cats are rather small. Jellicle Cats are merry!"

"And bright!" Pouncival ran up to add. Slowly, each cat came back to sing a line of the song, which started the actual Jellicle Ball. The ball is a long, fast dance that every cat participates in, even me.

We had all crawled to the ground to rest, and Plato stayed standing, looking for any dame who stood up. Surprisingly, it was Victoria who stood.

Plato did the ritual dance with her, and they lay down to rest. Suddenly, Tantomile and Coricopat leaped up!

Mistoffelees soon followed them, as if sensing something. Skimbleshanks also jumped up, sniffing the air. Soon, we were all up. Something was wrong.

Mistoffelees figured it out. He spun around and pointed off into the shadows. There, watching us the whole time, was old Grizabella!

Alonzo chased her off, as the rest of us started to do another fast dance. This one was mostly to show her that to be a Jellicle, you must be able to dance well.

We soon stopped, for we were still tired from our last dance. Then, Grizabella had the nerve to show up again!

I strutted past her, and her eyes followed me. I didn't need to see her. I was tired, and she just made me mad by interrupting our celebration.

As I left, I heard Jellylorum speaking to Victoria.

"You see the boarder of her coat is torn and stained with sand." She told her daughter, then pulled her away. Jemima stepped forward, as Jennyanydots watched carefully.

"And you see the corner of her eye twist like a crooked pin." As soon as the words were out of Jemima's mouth, her mother had herded her away too. Grizabella was left alone, with Deuteronomy watching her from his seat.

She started to dance, to show us that she could, but failed. Her old limbs wouldn't work fast enough to make the dance go smoothly. That was the last I saw or heard.

When I came back a long while later, every cat was back, and I could see Jellylorum leading her father, old Gus, out of the junkyard. Apparently she had sung a song about him.

After they left, the tribe sang a song about Skimbleshanks. I understood slightly why they would sing about him. He is the Railway Cat.

He ended up singing his own song about himself, and I sat up by the old clock and watched in amusement.

Far into the song, another loud CRASH! I felt someone shove me over from behind, and I fell onto the old car. When I looked up, the cold blue eyes of a ginger cat glared back at me.

The ginger started to laugh at what he had done, his laugh wicked and full of hatred. I got to my feet and ran out of the junkyard, just as Demeter announced his arrival.

"Macavity!" she cried. He laughed again, and I heard the screams of my tribe.

I stayed out of the junkyard while Macavity was there. Soon, I saw three of his black henchmen running off, dragging something along with them. It looked like it was a cat that they had tied in a net. Looking closer, I realized it was Deuteronomy! They were kidnapping him!

I didn't go back to the junkyard until I saw a flash of lightning and Macavity leave, limping. Then, I slowly made my way back.

"Macavity's not there!" they were saying as I came to lie in a pile of junk. The junkyard had gotten darker, Macavity had used his magic to put out the lights so he could make his escape.

"We have to find Old Deuteronomy!" my tribe cried in one desperate cry. And suddenly, I got an idea.

Alright, I knew it was stupid. I knew that he'd probably use his powers against me when this was all done. But hey, this was an emergency.

"You ought to ask Magical Mr. Mistoffelees." I told them, after I had seen that the tuxedo cat wasn't there. "The original Conjuring Cat. There can be no doubt about that."

Pouncival shined a bright light in my face, and they all gave me looks of doubt.

"Please listen to me." I told them. "And don't scoff. All his inventions are off his own bat. There's no such cat in the metropolis, he holds all the patent monopolies for performing surprising illusions, and creating eccentric confusions.

"The greatest magicians have something to learn from Mr. Mistoffelees' Conjuring Turn! And we all say: oh! Well, I never! Was there ever a cat so clever as Magical Mr. Mistoffelees?"

I jumped down and told them everything I knew about Mistoffelees, the conjurer. I didn't say a word about his real name or what he really looked like. But I told them that he was a conjurer, one of his big secrets.

A moment later, to my surprise, the tuxedo cat actually appeared! He appeared, and he looked like he really looked, with the super shiny black fur and without the white socks.

He took one look around the junkyard, and knew what was wrong. Immediately, he reinstated the lights, which gave the tribe a really good look at him.

As I kept singing, Mistoffelees gave me a nasty look. But he said nothing, just went with what I was saying about him.

Soon, he got his chance to show off his spectacular dancing skills. He did a quick dance, just a wonderful as his first solo, but now it was even more glamorous, because of his shiny fur.

Then, the moment we had called him for. It was all fun and games dancing and making things disappear, but he had to find Deuteronomy.

He got a large red sheet, and chose Cassandra to assist him. She was reluctant at first, but then went with it.

He covered her completely with the sheet, waved his hands over it, and with a flash of sparkles, he lifted the sheet up, revealing Deuteronomy!

"And we all say," I said slowly, as Deuteronomy turned to look at me. "Oh, well, I never! Was there ever a cat so clever as Magical Mr. Mistoffelees?"

I motioned towards the little conjurer, who leapt into Deuteronomy's arms and started to lick his face, happy that his trick had work. Alonzo walked up behind him and gave him a nasty look, and Mistoffelees nodded and walked off for a moment. Then, he returned with Cassandra!

Mistoffelees bowed to her, and then they bowed to the whole tribe. They were taking it pretty well, finding out two of his secrets.

Mistoffelees did another spectacular dance, before he jumped up onto the old tire.

"I give you? I said to everyone. "The magical, the marvellous, Mr. Mistoffelees!"

Then, he really surprised us. He jumped up into the air, did a split, and disappeared in a flash of sparkles! He reappeared on the ground next to Alonzo, who thanked him for returning Cassandra.

Then, Jemima realized the sun was coming up.

"Daylight." She announced. Munkustrap smiled at Deuteronomy.

"Now," he said. "Old Deuteronomy, just before dawn, through a silence you feel you could cut with a knife, announces the cat who will now be reborn, and come back to a different Jellicle life."

We all crowded at his feet, begging to be chosen. Even I lay on the ground before him. I mean, who wouldn't want to know the wonders of the Heaviside layer?

He was about to chose, when old Grizabella stepped out of the shadows again. Mistoffelees stood and stalked up to her. After his tricks, he wasn't the shy kitten anymore. Now he was grown, and wasn't as accepting to her as the kittens were. He just glared at her and walked away.

I too strutted up to her. I just sneered at her, and held one hand towards Deuteronomy, showing her that she could go ahead and try to be chosen. I knew that she would be. She wasn't a Jellicle.

She started to sing a sad song about when she was young, and Deuteronomy listened quietly.

Soon, it was too much for Grizabella. She collapsed to the ground, unable to stand any longer, saddened by her memories. Then, Jemima stood up.

"Sunlight through the tree's in summer." She sang. "Endless masquerading. Like a flower as the dawn is breaking?

"The memory is fading!" Grizabella finished. She stood up again, Jemima's beautiful voice had given her strength.

"Touch me!" she pleaded. "It's so easy to leave me all alone with the memory of my days in the sun. If you touch me you'll understand what happiness is." She looked up at the dawn. "Look, a new day has begun."

As she finished, Victoria slowly stood. She crept towards old Grizabella, and gently placed her hand in Grizabella's. The old cat smiled in gratitude, and soon the entire tribe was crowding her, wanting to touch her.

I accompanied Cassandra back into the centre of the junkyard, because Alonzo was trying to touch Grizabella. Cassandra wasn't sure she wanted to, and neither was I.

After she had touched hands with all who wanted to, Deuteronomy bowed to her. She had been chosen.

He led her to stand on the old tire, which was the passageway to the Heaviside layer. She had a smile as big as Etcetera's was after our date.

After she had gone to Heaviside, Deuteronomy sang one last song, before we left to go to out separate homes. On the way, Mistoffelees caught up to me.

"Hey, Tugger!" he called. "Can I walk with you?"

"Sure." I mumbled. We walked in silence for a moment.

"Tugger?" he said finally.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

**THE END**

**A/N: I'm finishing it here for now, there's two more in this series coming up. One telling this story from Pouncival's pov (It's good honest) and then I'm going to write one on my own character. Please review :)**


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